


Tying the Knot

by tehdono



Category: The Avengers - All Fandoms
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, The only fluff I will ever possibly write apparently, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-08
Updated: 2012-08-27
Packaged: 2017-11-09 11:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/454891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehdono/pseuds/tehdono
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony had turned on the stupid ass soap, which Steve was watching intently. Tony himself was just comfortable to sit there, wrapped in Steve’s warm embrace. There were no super villains, no calls from SHIELD, no PR events to attend or paparazzi. It was just them; curled up on the floor watching TV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Proposal

It was supposed to be your average vacation. Steve had managed to convince Fury that they should take a week off.  Tony suggested that they should leave New York—just the two of them. Steve didn’t want to go anywhere fancy. After all, they really didn’t have the time (or luck, considering they’re, you know, superheroes) to do much sightseeing. Which Tony was perfectly content with; any time alone with Steve was more than he could ask for.

That’s why they were spending what could quite possibly be called the perfect week in Malibu. The sun was shining, the ocean breeze softened the harsh summer heat, but most importantly they were completely alone. Tony was pleasantly surprised at his boyfriend’s complete acceptance to their frequent ‘fondue’s, in which, Tony had naturally utilized to his advantage. Thinking back on it, he really can’t remember how much time they’d actually spent _outside_ of the bed room. He can’t help but smirking when he thinks of certain memories.

But that wasn’t what made this the most memorable vacation yet.

One morning—he’s not entirely sure if it’s a Thursday or a Friday because, well, they haven’t exactly been thinking about _time_ —Tony woke up perfectly content in their large, luxurious bed. Though, he’s positive the source of such a sensation isn’t quite from the comfort of their bed. It was that contentment of a good night’s sleep after complete exhaustion. Remembering it all, Tony could feel a familiar smirk grow on his face.

He rolled over, expecting to find a certain blue eyed super-solider next to him. Instead, the sheets slightly tousled but nevertheless empty. It was 10:30. Of course Steve was already up. That was just what Steves did. At times, Tony wondered if it was even possible for him to even stay in bed all morning.

Deciding that staying there was ultimately pointless, Tony crawled out of bed. He honestly wondered whether or not there is a point in putting on clothes, considering he was quite sure he’d be out of them again but decided what the hell not. Steve was probably already dressed, had worked out and eaten breakfast. So he slapped the closest thing he could find, before heading downstairs.

Naturally, Steve was in the living room, reading a newspaper. Who read a newspaper now a days anyways? More importantly, Tony didn’t even know he _got_ a newspaper. But seeing Steve sitting on the couch, reading it, seemed just completely natural.

“About time you got up,” Steve greeted cheerfully. How could Steve wake up so fucking energetic? It seemed inhuman. Even now Tony’s slightly disgruntled mood could only be cured with his morning coffee.

“Good morning to you too,” he answered snidely, though a smile still on his face, as he made his way into the kitchen. Surprisingly there was already a pot of hot coffee already brewed. He knew there was a reason he loved that man. With only one sip, Tony could already feel the morning irritations melt away.

His coffee fix fulfilled, Tony joined Steve in the living room, flopping himself on the floor in between Steve’s legs before quickly snatching the remote and turning on the TV. Steve knew that Tony was very touchy feely and loved to be held. But he didn’t intend to stop Steve from whatever the hell it was he was doing, he’d settled for laying his head against Steve’s knee.

“So what’s all happened while I was re-enacting Sleeping Beauty,” Tony asked, turning on the TV and flipping through the TV guide. Really, he was almost positive there was an easier way to check the channels. For some reason or another, the television companies wouldn’t let Tony work with their technologies.

“Nothing much,” he answered, folding the newspaper before falling into the floor to sit behind Tony, wrapping his arms around the smaller man as his legs sat on either side. Tony sighed as he fell into the embrace, Steve landing a gentle kiss on his exposed neck. “I actually didn’t wake up until a little bit ago myself.”

“The great Captain America sleeping past 6 in the morning!? Blasphemous.”

Steve chuckled lightly and Tony could feel the breath on his neck. “Really now? You’re the one who’s up before noon,” he retorted. If only Steve could see the short, playful glare that landed on Tony’s face. Although Steve must have already known as he placed his chin on the top of Tony’s head, immediately dissolving the expression. “There anything good on?”

Tony shrugged. “Not really, unless you want to watch yesterday’s episode of General Hospital,” he joked. “I know you watch that like the silly housewife you are.”

The sad thing was, Steve did watch it.

“In my defense, I watch it because of Bruce.”

“Like that’s any better. What would America say if they knew that two of their greatest heroes watched soap operas in their down time?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “We’d win the hearts of housewives everywhere.”

“Trust me, you’ve already got them,” he said. It was really a fact. “In fact, you have the entire female population swooning at your feet. After all, who couldn’t fall head over heels over the hottest, nicest, downright perfect superhero in all of time?” He chuckled lightly, tilting his head back to look at said perfection. “If only they knew he was gay.”

Steve was already blushing red with embarrassment. He was always surprised at how much the American population loved him. He even more surprised when he realized he was in love with a man.

Truth be told, Tony had just now accepted it. A year ago, the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist hadn’t allowed himself to think that Steve really loved him; that he wasn’t going to leave. He didn’t know how to do the whole ‘dating’ thing. He’d never been in a real relationship, aside from Pepper. And even _she_ left.  He tried. It just wasn’t enough. The truth was he didn’t know how to love people.

He knew deep down that it was because he’d never really experienced love.

But then Steve came around. Steve didn’t want him to change. He loved him simply because Tony was Tony. He didn’t see the irresponsible, narcissistic Tony that everyone hated. He saw the Tony that patiently taught him how to use a computer despite how hard that had to have been. He even enjoyed the constant teasing; it meant Tony cared enough to pay attention. Steve loved him. He didn’t understand why. There was no explanation, no reasoning. He just did.

Tony had turned on the stupid ass soap, which Steve was watching intently. Tony himself was just comfortable to sit there, wrapped in Steve’s warm embrace. There were no super villains, no calls from SHIELD, no PR events to attend, no paparazzi. It was just them, curled up on the floor, watching TV. It was then Tony realized this was all he wanted.

He paused for a moment, though there was no hesitation. “Hey Steve?”

“Hmm?” he asked, obviously still watching Sam ask, once again, if Jason would be able to love a son that was not his, but the man who raped her—Jason’s twin brother. Really, it was a ridiculous show.

“Do you want to get married?”

The room went silent, although the TV played behind them. It was that tangible kind of silence, where the words hung in the air. His voice had been calm, no hesitation. As if it was the most natural thing in the world. Steve had pretty much stopped. Stopped breathing, stopped moving. He just stared at Tony, shocked. Tony knew what he was thinking—‘Did I hear that correctly?’ Tony sat up and turned around to face Steve, the blond man freezing beneath his gaze.

Tony stared into those crisp, blue eyes. “I’m serious. Will you marry me?”

Steve stopped for a moment, looking back at Tony, their eyes locked. He was silent. A second… a minute… an hour; Tony didn’t know. It might as well been a lifetime. Every second that passed between them, fear began to settle in, ripping him apart inside.

And then he saw it, that momentary look of doubt. Steve hadn’t answered. He wasn’t going to answer. At least, it wasn’t the answer Tony was looking for. At the thought, his own fears began to form, a physical presence within their silence.

“Y-you know what? Forget about it. I-I was being stupid. Joking,” he forced, backpedalling as far as his mouth could let him. He tried to laugh it off, but he couldn’t stop his voice from shaking. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

He pulled himself to his feet, pushing himself away against the couch. “I’m stupid. Really. You know what? I’ve got this project that I really need to start working on.” He began to walk out the door, although his body was screaming at him to run. He was stupid. Why would he think Steve would want to marry him? Sure he says he loves him, but marriage? That was a dream that nobody could see being real.

Were those tears welling up in his eyes? He couldn’t help it. Why was he sad about this? It’s completely natural. No one would be stupid enough to marry him, the genius billionaire _playboy_ philanthropist. His reputation surpassed him. Why would anyone think he’d be willing to settle down? It was a dream—a stupid dream. Tony knew he couldn’t have this, that he wouldn’t have this.

“Tony, wait,” Steve called out, pulling Tony out of his internal monologue.

He didn’t stop. He knew better than to stop, than to look at that expression again. Although when Steve grabbed his arm, he was forced to. Tony couldn’t look at him. He closed his eyes, forcing the tears that threatened to fall to stay in. “Please, Steve, just—“

Tony shut up at the feel of lips against his own. An arm was wrapped around his waist, pulling him close, the other at the crook of his neck, holding Tony’s mouth against his. It was forceful. Pleading. Tony couldn’t help but lean into the kiss even more, hands crawling up Steve’s shirt.

Steve pulled back, his hold on Tony unrelenting. Tony looked into those blue eyes and saw an ocean of undying love.

“Yes. Of course it’s a yes,” he answered as a smile grew. It was the kind of smile that couldn’t even begin to describe the emotions that were coursing through him. He repeated his answer as he kissed Tony, each word more forceful than the last, before he finally stopped, his whole heart spilled out before him. “Just... yes.”

Tony just nodded weakly before breathily responding. “Okay.” Steve laughed, pulling him even closer.

They just stood there for a moment, the raging emotions settling before them, not trusting themselves to speak. Steve was the first to form a coherent sentence. “Of course I’d say yes. Why would you think I’d say anything different?

“Well, I kinda have a bad track record…”

Tony could see the urge for Steve to roll his eyes. “You should know by now. I don’t care about that.”

“I know, I know,” he insisted. “It’s just, well. You had me scared.”

“And I thought I was dreaming.” Steve gently laid his forehead down against Tony’s. “Tony, I just… I want this. I really want this. More than anything.”

“Yeah, well, that’s… good.” The words just kind of stumbled out of his mouth. Tony didn’t know what to say. He was the one that asked him and he didn’t know what to say. In his defense, though, he really hadn’t expected to ask him. He just… did. “So, umm, yeah.”

“Heh, yeah,” he mimicked, though the laughter in his voice wasn’t the same as Tony’s happy but completely shocked. Steve pulled back slightly, looking at Tony. “So, husbands? I like the ring of it.”

“Well, I’m glad because I sure as hell wouldn’t take to being called your ‘wife’.”

“Awww, but _honey_ , it’d be true,” he joked, laying on the hideous nickname with unprecedented humor.

Tony jokingly pushed him away, sneering at him. “You’re the one that watches soap operas,” he reminded him, which won Tony a blush. Making the great America’s greatest hero blush was one of his favorite past times. “Besides, I proposed to you. You’re the one walking down the aisle.”

“What!? Fine. But only if Natasha is my maid of honor,” he demanded, walking back towards their spot next to the couch, dragging Tony with him.

“Oh god, I have to tell Natasha, don’t I?” the genius realized painfully. “She’s going to kill me.”

Steve rolled his eyes, pulling Tony down from his hysteria to sit with him. “She’s not going to kill you. She happens to like you.”

“Bullshit. She’s never forgiven me for dating you. She kinda has a soft spot for you. You’re like her little brother. I tell you, she’s got it out for me.”

Steve just laughed, pulling closer Tony closer. “Well, if that’s the case, I guess I’ll just have to protect you from her.”

“I like to think I can protect myself. I’m not some damsel in distress” Tony argued. He stopped at the idea of a furious Natasha. “But having Captain America shield me from her widow’s bite might actually be a good idea.”

“I’d have done it regardless,” he answered, his voice layered with content as he leaned back. Tony took his lead, leaning back into Steve’s chest.

“Oh god, Clint,” Tony started with terror. “Clint is not allowed to make the toast. At all. Just, no.”

“I thought I’m the ‘bride’? The wedding’s supposed to be all about what I want? Remember?”

Tony stopped his rant and looked up at Steve. “You know you can have whatever you want.”

“I know. But all I really want is you,” he confessed, pressing a light kiss on Tony’s head.

Tony sat up turning around to face Steve. Steve didn’t even get the chance to ask what it was before Tony had him lip locked in a kiss. It was soft, gentle as Steve slowly fell into the kiss. Tony was simply enjoying the feeling of Steve’s arms, holding him close as they kissed; his fingers tangled in Steve’s hair. When he pulled back, Tony couldn’t help but match the small, simply happy smile on Steve’s face.

“Hey Steve?” Tony asked. He received only a muffled sound that implied a question, Steve’s eyes still closed, forehead nestled against his. He was enjoying the rare, peaceful scene, taking in every moment as it passed.

“I love you.” Steve looked up, the ocean blue eyes meeting Tony’s gaze.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (internally flailing from fluff) 
> 
> So I know there are probably hundreds of SteveTony proposal fics floating out there somewhere, I still had to write this. This all started out as an RP with /my/ Steve. It was only natural for me to write it out in fan fiction form. Although I wasn’t intending for it to be this long… Really, I was shooting for a thousand words max. But I couldn’t help but fall into the moment.
> 
> Now for their wedding!
> 
> (And for the record, I actually do watch General Hospital.)


	2. Chapter 2

There are three things that Steve Rogers couldn’t have imagined 70 years ago: that a typewriter would turn into a device that ‘surfed’ a thing called the ‘internet’; that one could play games on this device called a ‘wii’; and most shockingly that he was gay.

Back in Steve’s day, it wasn’t just frowned upon, but almost resented for a man to have affections for another man. They hid behind their closed doors, silent when asked of their family lives. Steve himself hadn’t any real feelings towards the matter. Of course he was a little perturbed by the mention of it. What straight man in the 40’s century not be, especially when said man tried for years to prove to the US Army that he was enough of a man to fight for his country.

So he’d never imagined he would date, let alone about to marry, Tony Stark.

Somehow, they’d managed to keep it all under wraps, the dating and engagement to the infamous Tony Stark. Steve and Tony realized that the press would get all over it, and not just in the celebrity media. Politicians would use him as the subject of gay marriage. The republicans were sure to have a ball with this one. Captain America represented all that was ‘American’ in the sense. At least he was supposed to. People tended to forget that there was a man underneath the suit. So when the wedding planning began, so did the paparazzi.

They were doing remarkably well, keeping even the best of the paparazzi far away from the botanical garden they were getting married in. They figured that Fury was doing his best in preventing any more negative PR than they were already getting. SHIELD could only function so long as their proprietors continued to support them. Steve didn’t care the reasons behind it. He was grateful for what they were doing. She had enough to worry about.

Steve stared at the man in the mirror, taking in the sight of himself, dressed in the specially tailored gray suit, slowly realizing that the countdown had begun. The guests started arriving an hour ago, the wedding planner had started making last minute checks with the pastor, the garden  was settling into that slowly building excitement. In only a few minutes he was about to become the husband to the world’s infamous genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, Tony Stark.

He took a deep breath, threatening to be overcome by the emotions that welled up inside him. People just expected a lot out of Captain America, the super solider who defended not just his country but the world. So no one would suspect to find the famous Captain Rogers staring blankly at a mirror, recognizing that this fear was what they called ‘cold feet’.

He loved Tony. Truly and honestly, he loved Tony more than anything. It wasn’t as if the title bothered him any. They’d been dating long enough for Steve to learn that the ‘playboy’ part of his life had drawn to a close. He was ready for this. He _wanted_ this. He wanted to be married to the man he loved more than life itself. So why was he so scared?

“Hey Steve?” a knock on the door interrupted him from his internal debate. In popped Pepper, her red hair styled so subtly it was almost unnoticed despite how it stood out from her black dress. “We’re supposed to start in… Steve? Are you okay?”

“Yeah… I’m fine,” he finally answered, shaking himself back to reality. Pepper smiled.

“Nervous, huh?” Steve chuckled, though it was as shaky as he felt, catching Pepper’s immediate attention. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just… I don’t even know.”

Her heart visibly broke in front of him. “Steve…”

“I’m just, scared,” he finally confessed. “I mean, I want this. I really, really do. But maybe this is all too fast.” Pepper furrowed her eyes, as if not believing the excuse he was giving her. “I mean, I’m not good enough for him, Pepper. I’m really not. I mean, I know Tony’s used the same excuse to me over and over again. Just as quickly as he says it, I’ve been there to dispel it, but you know, it works the other way around too.

“Pepper, he tries. He’s tried so hard. He’s done so much to change himself, to make himself believe he deserves enough to stand by my side.” Steve ran a hand through his hair. “You know he’s quit drinking. I haven’t seen him take a drink since last Christmas and even then, it was only because Clint dared him and you know he can’t stand Clint holding something over his head.”

Pepper took a step forward, her brown eyes layered with sympathy. “Steve, you know that’s not true.”

“You know, this is Tony. Maybe he’d had decided to propose because I gave him some vibe I wanted him to.”  Steve had to look away, pacing to the window and look at the beautiful arrangements. “This is Tony, Pepper. I know him. Despite what I tell him, he’d do anything to make me happy—even if it was going to make him miserable.”

“Steve, look at me.” Steve hadn’t noticed that Pepper was now directly behind him. Obediently, he turned to face her. She gave a sad sigh before looking him in the eye. “You know as well as I do that Tony Stark doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do. That’s the way Tony works. Remember Berlin?” Steve couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Besides, Tony loves you,” she smiled weakly. “If he looked at me the way he looks at you, I don’t think I could have left him.”

With that, Pepper turned around to leave. Every bit of doubt he had slowly began to evaporate with her words. Tony was Tony. Despite what Steve believed, Tony was going to be selfish and he wanted Steve by his side. He wouldn’t have done this unless he wanted to prove to Steve, and the rest of the world, that he loved him.

And with that thought, Steve realized that there was nothing short of a conjoint attack of Hydra, Dr. Doom, and Loki that would stop this wedding.

\---------------------------------------------------

There were a few things that the world would have never suspected of Tony Stark, although, he had to admit, this one was probably on the top of the list. He’d wondered how the press would take it: ‘Tony Stark: Tying the Knot’, ‘Superhusbands?’, ‘The Stark-Spangled Banner?’. Needless to say, the tabloids were having a ball. Politicians on the other hand… well fuck the politicians. This wasn’t a matter of national importance, this was a wedding— _his_ wedding. And that was why he was freaking out.

In his defense, he had been freaking out for the past two days.

Maybe he was overthinking it. Actually, he was positive he was overthinking it. Steve loved him, he knew that. He didn’t care that everyone hated him, he had sold weapons, drank constantly and all he had seemingly wanted from a relationship was sex. For some odd reason, Steve had just decided to love him. Hell, he had accidentally proposed and Steve had actually accepted it. But more importantly Tony loved Steve. That was just the bottom line. For once, Tony realized he was doing something completely right.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to fuck things up.

Tony realized this. He was Tony fucking Stark, he was the king of fucking things up. Before Steve it was parties every night filled with meaningless sex and a lot of booze. A _lot_ of booze. Steve had been the one to patch him up, make him stop drinking, and ultimately become what seemed like a decent human being. When Steve looked at him, he saw something amazing, something that made him love him.

…Which was why he was going to fuck this up. When Tony looked in the mirror he saw the real Tony Stark; the billionaire screw up that didn’t deserve the nice things in his life, let alone Steve. He had grown up his whole life knowing he was a screw up; that he’d never live up to the image of his dad. Hell, his dad didn’t even like him.

So why was he trying to marry Mr. Perfect, the golden boy of not just America and SHIELD but the entire fucking world? He didn’t deserve him. Dear god, out of anything in this universe he didn’t deserve the love that this man gave him. Which was why he couldn’t let Steve go through with this; he couldn’t let Steve marry him just for Tony to fuck it all up.

As if on cue Steve Rogers turned the corner, setting them face to face with each other.

He was perfect in every sense of the word. Steve looked absolutely perfect in that gray suit. Pepper was right to go with the blue tie; it brought out those bright blue eyes that made Tony melt on the spot. As Steve nervously smiled at him, Tony couldn’t resist the smile of his own that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Hey…” Steve started, a small blush slowly creeping on his face. “You ready?”

Tony let out a weak chuckle. What he was about to do was the last thing he ever wanted. “Look Steve, you don’t have to do this,” he suggested at last. “I understand that I’m—“

“Tony.”

“—not everything you seem to think, so you can totally back out—”

“Tony, shut up.”

“—of this wedding. I’d completely under—“

This time he was cut short as Steve placed his lips on his own. Tony realized that somewhere in his mind that they really shouldn’t be having this kiss, especially if they were supposed to get married in about ten minutes, but every thought seemed to dissipate.

“You done?” When Steve pulled away Tony almost refused to let go. Steve knew better than to kiss Tony and not expect him to want more. That shy smile grew and Tony couldn’t for the life of him remember why it was he was trying to get rid of the best thing that happened in his life.

Tony took a second to consider it. He knew himself to be a selfish bastard, why should he stop now. “Yeah. I’m done,” he answered, a sly smirk now decorating his face, his eyes dancing with excitement. “You ready?”

Steve gently tightened his grip on Tony’s waist before letting go. “I’ve been ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm. Everyone gets cold feet before the wedding, why would Tony and Steve be any different? I wasn't going to make this a part within itself, but oh well. I think it ends better here. Next chapter: The (actual) wedding!


	3. The Ceremony

They had decided to get married in a garden. Despite what people would have thought, this wasn’t settling for Tony. Tony didn’t want to be married while skydiving or on a parade with the rest of the world watching. He had wanted something small, simple. He wanted his wedding to be about him and Steve and no one else.

Their wedding party had been an easy decision. Rhodey and Bruce had both agreed to stand with Tony while Pepper preferred to stay in the pew, her role of wedding planner and ‘family’ to a groom to go no further. Steve had asked Natasha, their resident assassin, first and foremost to stand with him. Since his awakening in the 21st century, she had taken care of him like an older sister would her little brother; taught him it was okay to love again, and that it was okay to love a man. Thor stood up with him as well, a brother in arms as the Asgardian would say.

Tony would have though Clint would be upset not getting invited to participate. Instead he was determined to make the best wedding video ever. Tony didn’t know whether to be happy or worried. Steve was convinced that Clint wanted to give it his all for them. But when Tony looked at the Hawk’s perch and saw the mischievous grin on his face, he wasn’t so sure.

The SHIELD director cleared his throat.

 “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments in the lives of some of our closest friends; to celebrate the joy and beauty of love through a couple united,” Fury began, his gaze not filled with the discomfort Tony would have thought their officiant to have, a smile upon his lips as he spoke the ceremonial words.

Tony looked over at Steve, a smile dancing across his face. Steve must have felt Tony looking at him, for he met Tony’s gaze with a small blush before turning back to their officiant. He was perfect, Tony thought, if a little stiff. He gave Steve’s hand a quick, knowing squeeze before turning his attention back to the ceremony. It was their wedding day—here they were proclaiming their love in front of all of their friends and family. Who wouldn’t be nervous? Surprisingly, Tony wasn’t.

“Steve, Tony: I ask that you two remember to hold each other with honor and respect and to remind yourself of what has brought you here today. You two have been through enough challenges in your life and marriage is yet another. When hardships come, as they do in any relationship, focus on the love you have here, and shall it guide you through. You two have a love unlike any I’ve ever seen before and it would be a shame to see it shattered by misspoken words. This is both an order as your superior…” he gave Tony a swift, harsh glance, as if reprimanding him already for the troubles he might bring upon a marriage, before softening just as quickly, “… and a request as your friend.

“I understand you have written your own vows.” They both nodded. “Then you may proceed.”

Tony turned to face Steve. All fears and doubts he could have ever had were washed away, and Tony spoke unshakingly.

“Where do I even start?” he asked himself. He wasn’t any good at these whole speech things, but he had written one just the same. “To think, when me and you first met, Steve, you hated me. At least, that’s what I thought. The truth was you didn’t and you refused to let me think so. You invited me to movie night and hung out with me in the lab, even when I asked you to leave.

He laughed quietly. “Especially when I asked you to leave.

“But somewhere down the line, I got used to it. I started to enjoy it. It just became natural. You know, I think that’s why I fell in love with you. I just…. It was nice not to have to pull it all off.”  Tony stopped for a minute, almost stopping himself. He knew that the wedding was going to be personal but he didn’t realize he was this willing to pour out his heart, the heart that only Steve got to see, to speak words that were meant only for him. 

“When I was with you, I wasn’t Tony Stark, genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. I was just Tony, who spent too much time in the lab and preferred a greased up tank top and his classic rock t-shirts; who likes his coffee black and refuses to eat vanilla pudding because it is an abomination. But the most amazing thing was that you just accepted it, preferred it. You wanted the Tony Stark that was covered in oil grease and sweat, not the dolled up, billionaire celebrity playboy that everyone else saw.

“Let’s be honest, I never thought that someone as perfect as you could have ever been able to love someone as messed up as me,” Tony explained. “I didn’t deserve it. I still don’t. But I know that you do and I guess that’s just going to have to be good enough for me.

“I can’t promise you that I’ll start sleeping like a regular human being or that I’ll actually remember to come out of the lab. I can’t promise that I’ll be on time or that I won’t lose my temper. I can’t promise that we won’t fight or that I won’t ever hurt you. All I can really say is that I will love you for the rest of my life, and there isn’t anything in this world that’s ever going to change that.”

Steve couldn’t help the giant smile that crossed his face. Every word Tony said was true and it warmed his heart to hear Tony admit all those feeling that Steve knew were there but were heard not so often. And it wasn’t that Tony didn’t feel them. It was just Tony being Tony—and it was one of the things Steve loved about him. It made moments like this, moments where he looked in Tony’s eyes and saw love overflowed with words of unbound devotion that made it special. 

Fury looked at him expectantly and a small blush rose to his face as he began to speak.

“There were a lot of things I didn’t expect out of life: to ever be admitted into the U.S. Army; to becoming Captain America and saving the world; to be brought to the 21st century; to save the world yet again from aliens. Love isn’t always fireworks. Sometimes it happens so softly, that we don’t even realize it’s there until you turn around one day and it’s like ‘Hello. Where have you been my whole life?’”

It was as he spoke that the blush slowly began to ebb away as Steve gazed into those deep brown eyes.

“And that’s how it was with you. One day I was so frustrated at you, with all the small things you did that drove me up a wall but I realized I couldn’t change them. More importantly, I realized that I wouldn’t change them because they were the things that made you, you. And that’s what I had grown to love.

 “I was confused about everything; the 21st century, our little Avengers family, what I was supposed to do with my life. But you, you knew how to help me when no one else did. You took the time to teach me the internet, letting me discover the world at my own pace, you were the one who took me out whenever I was feeling low and taught me how to dance. You were the one who put a smile on my face, even when I didn’t want one there.

“I’m not going to lie, when I first realized how I felt, I was terrified. I kept telling myself, it was wrong for me to be gay, for me to want to love a man like I would have loved a woman—to feel love again after everything that had happened. I had everyone’s support, everyone telling me that what I was feeling was natural, but I never felt like everything was going to be okay until the day you said that you loved me.”

He paused for a moment, a sheepish smile appearing on his face. “I realize that it’s not going to be easy, that there’s so much more to this life that I don’t understand, but when I realize that you’re going to be there with me, I don’t feel so afraid anymore.

“Life, I’ve learned, has more planned for us than we have for ourselves. And I’ve never been more grateful that it has lead me to you.

“I can’t guarantee that it won’t be hard, that we won’t fight or that we won’t shed any tears,” he spoke quietly, as if he was letting someone down by not being able to promise perfection. “But I know, that whatever we come across, we can get through it, so long as we’re together.”

Tony wanted to just reach out and hold him in his arms, to kiss him, to tell him that he didn’t need a serum-perfect enhanced Captain America, that he just needed Steve. His Steve—the one that the rest of the world didn’t see, too busy looking at the shield and suit. To tell him that they didn’t need a life without hardships, or else the happiness they shared now wouldn’t mean anything.

Fury’s voice broke his thoughts, the ceremony continuing.  “Now, for the rings.” 

“The ring forms a perfect circle, without a beginning or an end, symbolizing eternity. The gold signifies the purity and value of the relationship in which you enter.” He looked over at Steve. “Steve, if you will repeat after me.”

A small, knowing smile formed as he received the ring from Natasha. They were simple bands, a traditional yellow gold. But what made them special wasn’t the design or its beauty. Steve glanced down at the engraving. _‘For all the little things you do.’_ To a stranger, it meant nothing. To Steve, it meant everything.

As he placed the ring on Tony’s fingers, he spoke. “I give you this ring, as a symbol of my vow, with all that I am, and all that I have, I will honor and love you.” Steve couldn’t hold back the beaming smile as he looked down at the golden ring.

The one thing Steve had never expected of Tony was such a low self-doubt. For some reason, Tony was worried not about Steve’s feelings, but about himself. He claimed he was going to ruin everything because he wasn’t good enough and that Steve deserved so much better—someone who wasn’t as broken as him. Someone that would show him and tell him every day how much they loved him, not the love that Tony so brokenly showed.

But Steve had reminded him: it wasn’t about declarations of love. It was about everything else; patience with Steve’s ignorance of technology or taking him to his favorite family-diner whenever he felt the world on his shoulders, about seeing past the fake smile and finding the small kid from Brooklyn who was just as insecure as Tony was smart.

…That it was the little things that meant the most.

As Tony took the ring from Rhodey, he began to smirk, holding back a laugh. The words in the ring that he held were so simple. _‘I love you. End of story.’_ Many would find this just a simple declaration of Tony’s love—which it was. But it meant so much more.

To him, it was a declaration of love unlike any other. Everyone looked at them and saw polar opposites. Even their rag-tag group of superheroes, who saw the strange and unlikely every day, wouldn’t have thought this would be possible. Tony hadn’t even dreamed it could be. When it came down to it, Tony had demanded an explanation behind these irrational feeling, a reason to this illogical thing in his world of facts and equations.

But when it came down to it there was no reason. Love wasn’t an equation that only certain variables can answer. It simply came down to an ‘I love you’… and that, Tony began to realize, was enough.

“I give you this ring,” Tony repeated, locking his gaze to those ocean blue eyes and never looking away, “as a symbol of my vow, with all that I am, and all that I have, I will honor and love you.”

As they said their “I Do’s”, Steve could already hear the crying of their friends. He was tempted to look, but he simply could not look away from Tony. They say that a woman looks more beautiful when in love, and Steve had never witnessed anything more beautiful than Tony as he was now. Tony had been trying, but he simply could no hold back a beaming smile as Fury spoke.

“By the power invested in me by the District of New York, in witness of all assembled here today, I now pronounce you husbands,” Fury announced before looking towards Tony. “Okay Stark, you can kiss him now.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all have no idea how badly I want those rings. They're pulled from actual RPs or experiences, which make them all the better. Anyways, next part is the reception. And you have no idea what all I've got planned.
> 
> I apologize for how long it takes me to make another chapter on anything. But I mean, quality over quantity, right?


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